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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 271 records · Page 15
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NASA NTRS1982

The growth of filaments by the condensation of coronal arches

A model of filament formation based on the condensation of coronal arches is described. The condensation results from initiating the radiative instability within an arch by superimposing a transient energy supply upon the steady state heating mechanism. The transient energy supply increases the density within the arch so that when it is removed the radiative losses are sufficient to lead to cooling below the minimum in the power loss curve. Times from the initial formation of the condensation to its temperature stabilization as a cool filament have been calculated for various initial conditions. They lie in the range 10,000-100,000 s with the majority of the time spent above a temperature of 1 x 10 to the 6th K. Under the assumption that the condensation of a single arch forms an element of the filament, a complete filament requires the condensation of an arcade of loops. Using experimentally derived parameters, filament densities of 10 to the 11th to 10 to the 12th per cu cm can be obtained.

Davis, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Extragalactic 1 millimeter sources - Simultaneous observations at centimeter, millimeter, and visual wavelengths

Observations simultaneously made at visual (B, V, and R) wavelengths, at 1, 1.4, and 3.4 mm and at 1.3, 2, 6, and 20 cm of 9 QSOs and BL Lac objects are reported. The range of the millimeter-visual spectral index alpha sub mv was only 0.65-0.82, typical of optically thin synchrotron emission. This may indicate that the electrons radiating synchrotron emission in this portion of the spectrum are not subjected to large radiation losses, and therefore relativistic bulk motion with Doppler factors of about 10 are required. The visual spectral index is much more broadly distributed and typically larger than alpha sub mv. The spectral energy distributions have not changed much in the last two to five years except for 2251+15 and perhaps 0235+164. Only 1749+09 shows a sharp spectral break shortward of 1 mm. Sixteen other sources were observed at 1 mm, of which seven were detected.

Landau, R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Conductive flux in the chromosphere derived from line linear polarization observation

It is shown that quantitative information on the mechanisms of energy transport which take place in solar flares can be obtained by measurement of impact line polarization. Linear polarization in two chromospheric lines (H-alpha and SI 1437 A) observed in the gradual phase of solar flares was investigated. The polarized electric vector is shown to be directed towards the center of the disk. The relationship between conductive heat flux and linear line polarization is determined using a function which represents the velocity distribution of electrons carrying heat flux. The relationship between linear polarization and heat flux is applied to the observed degree of polarization, which yields the conductive heat flux in the high chromosphere. It is determined that this conductive flux is of the order of magnitude of the total radiation loss in the chromosphere and below, which is also of the order of magnitude of the conductive flux in the transition zone.

Henoux, J.-C.↗
NASA NTRS1983

An approach to optimization of low-power Stirling cryocoolers

A method for optimizing the design (shape of the displacer) of low power Stirling cryocoolers relative to the power required to operate the systems is described. A variational calculation which includes static conduction, shuttle and radiation losses, as well as regenerator inefficiency, was completed for coolers operating in the 300 K to 10 K range. While the calculations apply to tapered displacer machines, comparison of the results with stepped displacer cryocoolers indicates reasonable agreement.

Sullivan, D. B.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Models for the active and quiescent regions on the RS CVN-type system 2 Pegasi (HD 224085)

The IUE observations of the RS CVn binary system II Pegasi obtained during the period 1981 October 1-7 were used to derive the emission measure distributions and to calculate transmission region models of the quiescent and plage (active) regions of II Peg. Active region models were calculated assuming area coverages of 10%, 6%, 3% and 1% of the visible hemisphere. These models are used to provide lower limits to the electron pressure in the quiescent and plage regions, which are compared with the available density diagnostics. The amount of mechanical energy deposition required to account for the observed radiative losses is very large.

Linsky, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Thermal ripples in a resistive and radiative instability

The development of the resistive tearing instability in the case of sheared magnetic fields is considered, taking into account also the occurrence of a radiatively driven thermal instability. It is pointed out that thermal conduction has generally been neglected in theories similar to those discussed. The present investigation is concerned with a consideration of both parallel and perpendicular thermal conduction, in addition to finite resistivity and radiative loss. Attention is given to the equations and the model, the spatial singularity which arises with consideration of only the parallel heat conduction, the removal of this singularity and the formation of temperature oscillations (thermal ripples) by inclusion of the perpendicular heat-flux component, and details regarding the numerical procedure. A brief explanation is provided of the conditions required for the oscillations, and potential implications of the results with respect to the solar flare are discussed.

Steinolfson, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Why P/OF should look for evidences of over-dense structures in solar flare hard X-ray sources

White-light and hard X-ray (HXR) observations of two white-light flares (WLFs) show that if the radiative losses in the optical continuum are powered by fast electrons directly heating the WLF source, then the column density constraints imposed by the finite range of the electrons requires that the WLF consist of an over-dense region in the chromosphere, with density exceeding 10 to the 14th power/cu cm. Thus, we recommend that P/OF search for evidences of over-dense structures in HXR images obtained simultaneously with optical observations of flares.

Neidig, D. F.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The thermal structure of the dayside upper atmosphere of Venus above 125 km

A one-dimensional model of the Venus thermosphere has been constructed which includes computation of the heating efficiency of solar ultraviolet radiation, heat loss by radiation to space of infrared-active species, thermal transport by molecular and eddy conduction, and viscous dissipation. By comparing model predictions with results obtained from the Pioneer Venus Orbiter spacecraft, the results indicate that energy transport parameterized by eddy heat conduction plays a dominant role in determining thermospheric temperature. It is suggested that there exists a feedback mechanism linking heating and thermospheric circulation such that eddy cooling maintains an asymptotic temperature of about 300 K for both solar-maximum and solar-minimum conditions. The variation in thermospheric temperature with solar zenith angle, atomic oxygen-mixing ratio, rate of vibrational excitation of CO2 by ground-state O atoms, and the assumed transfer of O(1D) electronic energy to CO2 vibrational energy are also studied.

Hollenbach, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Evolution of rotationally and tidally distorted low-mass, close binary systems - Implications for the minimum orbital period of cataclysmic variables

A (1 + 0.4) solar mass close binary system consisting of a compact primary and a red dwarf secondary has been evolved numerically. Such a binary system should effectively model cataclysmic variables for which a minimum orbital period cutoff of about 81 minutes has been observed. The influence of gravitational radiation losses which drive Roche lobe overflow has been studied, and the effects of rotational and tidal distortion have also been incorporated in the calculation. The evolution of the He-3 abundance, which has been suggested as a possible explanation for the upper limit of the apparent orbital period gap exhibited by cataclysmic variables, is also considered. It is found that both the distortional effects and the He-3 chemical profile can play an important role in determining the subsequent evolution of these systems. Specifically, when distortion is included, the theoretical minimum orbital period is increased by about 10 percent, yielding better agreement with observations.

Nelson, L. A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Multifrequency observations of blazars. II - The variability of the 1 micron to 2 mm continuum

The results of monitoring, over a period of two years, a sample of 12 blazars, in 11 wave bands between 1 micron and 2 mm are presented. All sources exhibit some variability, both in flux density and spectral shape. The infrared variability is consistent with repeated injections of reaccelerations of electrons, which subsequently suffer radiative losses. For OJ 287, 3C 279, and 3C 345, a decay and steepening of the infrared spectrum occurred as the submillimeter turnover evolved to lower frequencies, consistent with expansion of the emitting region. The peak flux, however, increased during this evolution. This behavior is inconsistent with most models for compact extragalactic sources, but it is naturally explained by shock waves traveling in an adiabatically expanding relativistic jet (Marscher and Gear, 1985).

Gear, W. K.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Chromospheric and transition region structure of the Herbig emission stars HR 5999 and BN Ori

The IUE spectra of HR 5999 and BN Ori were analyzed, showing strong emission lines of C II, C IV, O I, and Si IV (also Mg II in HR 5999), indicating the presence of chromospheres and transition regions around these high mass premain sequence (PMS) stars. Infrared, optical, and ultraviolet observations show that BN Ori has a spectral type of FO-2 IIIe, a bolometric luminosity of 36 L, age 1.5 million yr, and mass 2 to 2.5 solar mass. As HR 5999 fades, the ratio of total to selective absorption increases indicating the appearance of larger grains or changes in grain alignment. Emission measure distributions are used to investigate the atmospheric structure of the stars. As HR 5999 fades the emission measure distribution rises systematically and the inferred transition region pressures increase. The transition region and chromospheric radiative losses are large and imply input mechanical energy fluxes similar to those of lower mass PMS stars.

Brown, A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Numerical simulations of a siphon mechanism for quiescent prominence formation

Quiescent prominences represent a significant challenge to our understanding of the flow of mass and energy in the outer layers of the solar atmosphere. A small number of quiescent prominences contain as much mass as the entire corona (Athay, 1976). The problem then is how to get that much material into the relatively small volume of a prominence and maintain it at a temperature of 10,000 K in close proximity to material at one million K. The thermal insulation to conduction provided by the magnetic field explains the disparate temperatures. The mass source problem is less well understood. One method for supplying mass to the prominence is to siphon it from the chromosphere. The siphon mechanism begins with a magnetic loop that evolves into a configuration with a gravitational well, such as that described by Kippenhahn and Schluter (1957). This could be formed, for example, by a twist in the magnetic field. A gravitational well could also be formed by a condensation induced sag in the field. This could further enhance the condensation process. Once this well has formed, or as it is forming, the material in the well area of the loop must cool and condense to the point where radiative losses exceed any heat input. Additional material must also flow into the well from the underlying chromosphere to supply the mass required to form the prominence. One example from a series of numerical simulations that were performed to study the formation of quiescent prominences is presented.

Poland, A. I.↗
NASA NTRS1987

X-ray sources in regions of star formation. II - The pre-main-sequence G star HDE 283572

This paper reports the detection of HDE 283572, a ninth-magnitude G star 8 arcmin south of RY Tau, as a bright X-ray source. The observations reveal this object to be a fairly massive (about 2 solar masses) pre-main-sequence star associated with the Taurus-Auriga star formation complex. It exhibits few of the characteristics of the classical T Tauri stars and is a good example of a 'naked' T Tauri star. The star is a mid-G subgiant, of about three solar radii and rotates with a period of 1.5 d. The coronal and chromospheric surface fluxes are similar to those of the most active late type stars (excluding T Tauri stars). The X-ray and UV lines most likely arise in different atmospheric structures. Radiative losses are some 1000 times the quiet solar value and compare favorably with those of T Tauri stars.

Walter, F. M.↗
NASA NTRS1987

On the evolution of tidal capture X-ray binaries - 4U 2127+12 (M15) to 4U 1820-30 (NGC 6624)

A new evolutionary scenario for X-ray binaries in globular clusters, which begins with a tidal capture of a main-sequence star by a neutron star and ends with a white dwarf-neutron star system, is presented. For tidal captures of main-sequence stars into orbits too wide to begin mass transfer immediately, the subsequent evolution of the secondary can lead to a common envelope binary similar to what the 9 hr X-ray binary 4U 2127+12 in M15 is suspected to be. If the common envelope is thick enough, it may cause the neutron star and the white dwarf core of the secondary to spiral in, producing a detached white dwarf-neutron star system. Subsequently, gravitational radiation losses may evolve this into the configuration seen in the 11 minute X-ray binary 4U 1820-30 in NGC 6624. This model appears more likely on statistical grounds than formation by collision of a neutron star and a red giant. In some circumstances, the latter process may result in unstable mass transfer, which would result in coalescence rather than a binary system like 4U 1820-30.

Bailyn, Charles D.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The chromospheres and coronae of five G-K main-sequence stars

Previous data and high and low dispersion IUE observations of Chi 1 Ori, Alpha Cen A, Xi Boo A, Alpha Cen B, and Epsilon Eri are used to model the atmospheres of these stars from the high chromosphere to the corona. The energy lost by radiation and transferred by thermal conduction is investigated to establish the heating requirements, and results similar to those found for the solar atmosphere are found. The observed emission measurement distribution below 100,000 K can be described by a model in which Alfven wave energy input, observed through nonthermal line broadening, is balanced by radiation losses. Comparison of the coronal, transition region, and chromospheric pressures shows scaling relations which are compatible with previous flux correlations.

Jordan, C.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Rotational modulation and flares on RS CVn and BY Dra stars. VI - Physical parameters of the chromospheres/transition regions of V 711 Tau (HR 1099), II Peg and AR Lac during October 1981

Ground-based optical and IUE satellite-ultraviolet observations of three RS CVn stars are combined with density sensitive line ratios and differential emission measure curves to describe the physical conditions in their outer atmospheres. Solar-like densities are found to be representative of average conditions on two of the stars, V 711 Tau and AR Lac. The total radiative losses from these two stars are estimated and found to be larger than the sun by at least two orders of magnitude. Consideration of the volume emitting in two of the principal transition region lines suggests a possible relation between the disk 'filling factor' for these two lines and the dynamo-related Rossby number. Only one hemisphere of the star II Peg, the one showing least evidence of starspots, is similar. On the opposite hemisphere the presence of a discrete emitting region is deduced which is almost coincident in phase with the passage of the dominant optical spot group across the visible disk. The dimensions of this region, and an illustrative interpretation in terms of a large emitting magnetic loop, are discussed. It is compared to large active region loops on the sun.

Byrne, P. B.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Size and shape of solid fuel diffusion flames in very slow speed flows

The influence of very low speed forced flows on the size and shape of a diffusion flame adjacent to a solid fuel slab is studied experimentally and theoretically. Velocities in the range of 1.5 to 6.3 cm/s and O2 mole fractions (in the O2/N2 atmosphere) in the range of 0.15 to 0.19 were tested. The flames moved farther from the fuel surface as the flow velocity was reduced and closer to the sample as the O2 concentration was lowered. A corresponding theoretical model was solved using a two-dimensional Navier-Stokes system with a one-step finite-rate chemical reaction and surface radiative loss.

Chen, Chiun-Hsun↗
NASA NTRS1988

Computerized Analysis Of Thermal-Diffusivity Data

Improved data-acquisition and data-analysis system for thermal-diffusivity measurements using flash method incorporates digital oscilloscope and microcomputer for rapid reduction of experimental data. In thermal-diffusivity apparatus thin specimen heated on one face by pulsed xenon flashlamp, subsequent temperature rise on opposite face monitored by infrared detector. Thermal diffusivity estimated from thickness of specimen and from time after initial pulse during which temperature rise reaches half maximum value. Accuracy of estimate improved by correcting temperature measurements for radiative loss of heat from specimen and for finite duration and specific waveform of flashlamp pulse. System devised for use in high-temperature measurements of thermoelectric materials.

Chmielewski, Artur B.↗